Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $844 in Nairobi versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,376 in Nairobi versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,908 in Nairobi versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Nairobi costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nairobi is 39% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 KES 485

$17.30 €14.87

-78.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 KES 4,533

$63.3 €54.4

-44.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.31 KES 816

$11.39 €9.79

-44.60%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 350

$3.19 €2.74

-15.36%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 77.5

$2.45 €2.10

-75.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$1.76 €1.52

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 302

$3.59 €3.09

-34.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$3.39 €2.92

-18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$1.24 €1.06

-28.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.3

$1.98 €1.71

-71.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 KES 240

$1.52 €1.31

21.71%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 220

$4.04 €3.47

-57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 KES 1,365

$13.54 €11.64

-22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 KES 815

$8.39 €7.21

-24.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 KES 788

$18.25 €15.69

-66.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 KES 438

$2.29 €1.97

47.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 KES 130

$1.74 €1.50

-42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.86 €1.60

4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$2.63 €2.26

-59.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

$1.92 €1.65

-44.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.09 €1.80

-50.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.1

$1.44 €1.24

-52.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 KES 94.3

$0.84 €0.72

-13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 KES 439

$6.78 €5.83

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 KES 1,492

$5.71 €4.91

101.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 287

$1.38 €1.18

60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KES 352

$2.22 €1.91

22.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 96.2

$2.40 €2.06

-69.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.72 KES 6,045

$46.78 €40.22

-0.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 KES 194

$4.17 €3.59

-64.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.14 €0.98

38.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 381

$17.68 €15.20

-83.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 KES 196

$2.32 €2.00

-34.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$35.3K €30.4K

-43.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$41.4K €35.6K

-52.70%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.0 KES 8,021

$170 €146

-63.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.43 KES 1,996

$19.34 €16.62

-20.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.66 KES 4,484

$33.64 €28.92

3.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 KES 6,593

$48.10 €41.35

5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.56 KES 1,884

$19.90 €17.11

-26.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 KES 1,025

$9.92 €8.53

-20.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$234 KES 30.3K

$717 €617

-67.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K KES 1.5M

$17.5K €15.0K

-33.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 KES 3,485

$105 €90.1

-74.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 KES 3,315

$46.95 €40.36

-45.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.2 KES 8,306

$103 €88.9

-37.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 KES 7,731

$124 €107

-51.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 KES 59.3K

$1,677 €1,441

-72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 KES 27.2K

$1,271 €1,093

-83.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 KES 149.0K

$2,985 €2,566

-61.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 KES 65.4K

$1,992 €1,713

-74.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,344 KES 173.8K

$7,826 €6,728

-82.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.0K

$4,658 €4,004

-80.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 KES 61.2K

$1,583 €1,361

-70.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

3.79

288.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nairobi: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Nairobi and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 235% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Nairobi vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $283 per month, with Nairobi cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nairobi vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi and Lisbon differ by about 174% in total monthly costs ($844 vs $2,316 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 235% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $458 in Nairobi versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $234 in Nairobi versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Nairobi versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nairobi and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 174% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.